Dear Old Guy welcomes letters on all subjects, including love, marriage, child rearing, even basic plumbing and medical advice. What he doesn’t know, he is happy to make up. After all, he’s just an opinionated Old Guy.

Submit your questions to Dear Old Guy here.

Dear Old Guy,

Glad to hear you are answering computer questions. Here’s one: I have an old school friend, Barry, who lives in another state. Almost daily he sends out those mass emails with bad cartoons, dirty tasteless jokes, and worst of all pictures of his kids in cute poses. How do I make it stop? I get similar emails from others but not as often. What’s the polite way to make all this junk stop appearing in my inbox?

Signed, enough@stopitnow.com

Dear enough@,

Simple. Write back and tell your old buddy that, although you enjoy personal emails from him, you would like to be removed from his mass mailings. If he doesn’t get the hint after two responses like that from you then block his stuff. After that if Barry has anything important to tell you about he can pick up the phone. —O.G.

 Dear Old Guy,

I am a responsible, hardworking high school student. By the time you answer this question the new semester will be in full swing and I will be a senior. Every year at this time my school begins their big show and every year I want to audition but my parents won’t let me. I think as long as I keep my grades up I should be allowed to be involved in the production. What do you think? How do I convince my parents to let me try out? I should mention that I can’t sing, act or dance but I’ve seen every musical they’ve done in the past three years and that doesn’t always seem to matter.

Signed, Signed Marlon Brand-X

Dear Marlon,

Best nom de plum I’ve read in a long time. You are clever. If it turns out you really can’t sing, dance or act that should not stop you ambitions. First of all you won’t know until you try. And if it is true and you still want to have a career on stage it’s possible you could end up as a daytime TV talk show host or news commentator for Fox. As for your parents show them my column. OK, are they looking? Good. Hey Marlon’s parents, You got a good boy there. Let him try out for the school play. There, young man, that should do it. I wish you well. —O.G.

 Dear Old Guy,

My fourth grader was diagnosed at school last year with attention deficit disorder. She is smart but didn’t do well in class and was often disruptive, at least according to her teacher. Going into this year the idea if giving my child drugs, as the school counselor recommended, really bothers me. My husband who is a workaholic, and has no time for anything, is siding with the teacher. I told him we are going to do what you advise.

Signed, Just Say No to Daddy

Dear, Just Say No to Daddy,

I am with you 100 percent. It is just as likely that your kid is suffering from a case of childhood. You didn’t say so but there could have been be bad chemistry between this particular teacher and your kid or some other interaction in the classroom which could have been causing an issue. A good conversation with your daughter could help bring something to light. Get her to open up to you and in the meanwhile healthy food and more physical activity is the first and best prescription for ADD.

As to your husband, stand your ground. Drugs are a tool of last resort. If daddy remains insistent I would put the prescription meant for the child in his morning coffee. —O.G.